


Just Want to Help

by Groot_the_tree



Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Disabled Character, Fix-It, Fluff, Good Boyfriend Tony Stark, Lack of Communication, M/M, Misunderstandings, Post-Canon, Post-Canon Fix-It, Post-Endgame, Protective Tony Stark, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Lives, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange Parenting Peter Parker | Supremefamily | Strange Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-25 11:07:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22495087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Groot_the_tree/pseuds/Groot_the_tree
Summary: Post Endgame and Tony is spending a lot of time in the lab, not letting Stephen in. He's got to know what's going on in there.Tony's not-so-evil plan to help his boyfriend.
Relationships: Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Comments: 1
Kudos: 120





	Just Want to Help

It was something that Tony had been wanting to do for so long now, though he just kept getting shut down. Until now there had been no way around it, nothing he could do to sneak it by. Or, well, he could but he wouldn’t do that, not to Stephen, he trusted the man’s judgment and didn’t want to break the trust the man had in him by doing something behind his back.

Now though, no he had a reason. He had a way around it. And all it had taken was him losing his right arm.

He should have thought of it before, it was a very him thing to do, lose an arm to help someone he loves.

Then again, he would be armless right now if he had cut one off before. Maybe not his best plan.

Anyway, what’s done is down and now, while working on something to help him, replace his lost limb, he was also working on something he thought might help his boyfriend with his hands as well. 

He had spent a lot of time wondering why Stephen didn’t want his help, not even realizing that, if the situations were switched, he wouldn’t want the help either and, in fact, he doesn’t. He’ll help himself and no one else is allowed to. 

So through a long series of unfortunate events, Tony Stark finds himself in his lab working one-handedly on a new invention that would hopefully help both him and his boyfriend. 

If he could make gloves for Stephen that would help steady his hands and alleviate the pain then he should definitely be able to fully make a new arm for himself. Right?

Both were turning out to be harder than he had originally anticipated but he was making it work. Things were going well enough and, with the help of Friday he was making a little progress.

Of course, with this came locking himself up in his lab for ages at a time, not talking to or seeing anyone, not wanting to stop until they were both finished. If it had been just his hand he was fixing he wouldn’t have cared too much but with Stephen being involved he needed everything to be perfect for him. 

The only time he was seen was once a day when he was forced out of the lab by Stephen. He wasn’t allowed to go back either until he had decent food in him that wasn’t just greasy fast food burgers and coffee. He also had to sleep for at least an hour and a half. Stephen had started higher but a compromise had to be made between the two as Tony didn’t want to be gone for a full five hours. 

Stephen, of course, had no idea what Tony was planning or doing in the lab for so long but with every passing day, he became more and more worried. Anything that was talking this long couldn’t be good, could it? 

It had been just over a week since this had started and Stephen knows how Tony can be, don’t get him wrong, he does and accepts that. He’s had the same unhealthy work habits in the past and still struggles with them on occasion now with being the sorcerer supreme. 

But this was the next level. The man was tired of going to be and waking up alone, eating two meals a day alone and only with Tony for the other because he forced him to be there. 

Shouldn’t he want to spend time with Stephen? They’re in a relationship, shouldn’t that include being together, being there for each other, loving each other. The last one is something he’s struggling with the most. Part of him knows Tony loves him but if he does then why is this happening? Why’s he spending so much time away? There must be a reason.

And so, Stephen sets out to find it.

It wasn’t as easy as he would have thought. Not that he was expecting it to exactly be a walk in the park or anything but he wasn’t expecting the Where’s Waldo fest he was currently finding himself to be in the middle of either. 

Everything he was doing was staying within reason, he wasn’t looking to break Tony’s trust, things that would involve doing that wasn’t even considered. There was no checking his laptop, phone, trying to get Friday to hack it or anything. 

Though on more than one occasion he did casually ask the AI what the man was working on. He didn’t get an answer. 

So he easily turned to others that might know. Pepper, Rhodes, and Bruce were asked. They all said they didn’t know. Stephen accepted those answers even when he knew for a fact that at least one of them knew, he’d seen Bruce come in and sneak down to where Tony had locked himself, helping him for a few hours on more than one occasion. 

He even tried to get an answer out of Peter who was notoriously bad at keeping secrets. Again, he didn’t know. Stephen accepted that though if Tony did really want this to be a secret Peter would be the last person he would tell. 

After this plan came up with nothing, he moved on to plan two. Finding his way into the lab and see what Tony was doing himself. 

This seemed like it would be an easy plan.

It was not.

Of course, the AIs had all been ordered to keep him out of the lab while Tony worked and he couldn’t exactly fool them, not with they knew everything about everyone.

He tried faking emergencies, acting like he was hurt, sick. Once he even tried fake sleepwalking into the room. All attempts were stopped with ease. 

Stephen was close to giving up altogether. There was only one thing left for him to do, he had decided. Confront the man on what he had been working on.

So that night, over the dinner Stephen had cooked them, in time they would typically make small talk, he decided the silence was the best chance he was going to get.

“So, what have you been working on in the lab?” He asks, no point in beating around the bush. He needed to know and knew Tony would catch on too quickly if he had tried any other way. 

Tony laughs, “Don’t think I haven’t noticed your attempts to get in there Strange.” He says, teasing the man lightly, “Don’t worry your pretty head about it. You’ll find out soon enough.” 

Stephen looks at him, far from amused. “Why don’t you just tell me? It’s been weeks of this. I mean you only come up when I force you, we never spend time together, you live down there now. I only see you for a few hours each day and for most of them, you’re asleep. And don’t get me wrong, I love that you sleep but I just…” He had been speaking fast, determined to get it out, or the words were determined to get out before Stephen could stop them. His voice softens, deciding there was no going back now, “I miss you, Tony.” 

Tony looks at him, big brown eyes soft, finally realizing how this time must have seemed to the other man. “Stephen, you know I love you.” He reminds gently, just now realizing how long it has been since he’s said those words to the other man. No wonder he feels this way. “Come on, after we eat I’ll show you what I’ve been up to. I was wanting it to be a surprise when I finish but I think you deserve to know about it now.”

He was still nervous to show Stephen what it was he was doing, not sure how he’d feel about it but if it would calm his fears he’d do about anything right now. Even ruin the surprised and have Stephen mad at him for a few days.

So they do exactly as Tony said. They finish up the dinner that had been made and then, when they would normally be going to bed, made their way down into the engineering lab instead where Tony had been spending so much of his time. 

Once they’re in, Tony leads Stephen over to one of the tables where he had been working. On the table was a pair of red gloves that would cover up to mid-arm at least, a few wires sticking out and tools laying around them. Then there was a metal arm next to it, looking like a prosthetic that Tony had been working on for himself.

Stephen looks to him, confusion clear on his face. “Tony, what is this?” He asks, a shaky hand reaching out to the gloves but not touching it, almost afraid he will break it. 

“It’s a glove,” Tony says, ignoring the glare from Stephen as he states the obvious. “I know you’ve told me not to do it but I was working on making a prosthetic for myself and while I was at it was playing around with similar technology for you.” He explains, jumping in to explain himself more when he sees the other start to talk again. 

“I know if you had known you would have stopped me and I know going behind your back and doing it anyway was…not my best idea but I really think it could help. At least steady your hands. I see how much pain it is for you to use them and I hate seeing you in pain, Steph. Think about how you feel when I’m hurt, I feel the same about you.” He admits, seeing the other man hurt always puts Tony through pain as well, though he’s sure it’s a different pain and it’s not as bad as Stephen’s but what’s the point in being in pain when you don’t have to? He knows his boyfriend is a masochist but come on.

“At least try them. If you don’t like them then you don’t have to ever use them. We can scrap the idea and I’ll listen to you from now on, but at least give them a try?” He asks, big brown eyes wide, pouting.

Stephen sighs, “You and Peter and your puppy faces.” He shakes his head, how could he ever say no to that look? “Okay, fine. I’ll try them. But on one condition.”

Tony looks at him, almost worried about what it will be, “What?” He asks.

Stephen smiles at him softly, “We spent the rest of the night together.” He responds, “I really do miss you Stark.” His arms wrap around the shorter, pulling him close.

Tony smiles back, leaning up and giving the taller man a soft kiss, “I miss you too Stephenie.”

**Author's Note:**

> I still don't know what I'm doing. Comment, kudos, those things are welcome.


End file.
